I am a blood type B. I know that most soy products are a "no-no," with the exception of soy flour. What about soy protein isolate? I gave all of my soy products away with the exception of several cans of this powdered soy protein, and I'd like to know if I am harming my body by continuing to use it! I am a big fan of soy, so it has taken me a while to adjust to my new diet. I do not eat any meat except for fish. Is this a concern as long as I stick to the fish that is highly beneficial or neutral? Thank you for your help! Lisa

Greetings, Lisa ~ You'll do fine on that fish, although it would make me happier if you had an occasional serving of rabbit, lamb or goat ~ just now and again? a tiny taste? These are animals raised for food and treated well by conscientious producers ~ no need for hormones, antibiotics, etc. ~ and if your personal convictions will allow you to have just a bit on the odd occasion, it would be a valuable and healthful addition. But again, fish is absolutely sufficient, and you should have no trouble at all on a pescatarian diet! :-)

Protein powder... hmmm.... I was going to say, go ahead and use it up, but... several cans? that gallon-sized tub size they usually come in?? ... Well, I wouldn't buy any more of it, and if you can foist upon your friends all but the open can, say, then I'd use it no more than once per week until it's gone. Instead, use a rice or egg protein powder if desired. Yogurt or one of the mild, soft cheeses works great in smoothies, and you darned Bs really benefit from that stuff!! A GOAT CHEESE AND DATE SMOOTHIE, AyAyAhhAAYYY!! {{sigh} - scuse the wailing ~ O-nonsecretor feeling a bit sorry for herself here, LOL!} Walnut, almond, or pecan butter, and soaked ground flaxseed, are great for making smoothies thick and tasty, and nutritional yeast is the perfect finishing touch.

Lisa, I think you're on the right track altogether and you'll keep seeing new benefits as time goes on. Thanks so much for writing!!

Hi, I'm type B and have been going to a NP doctor who is treating me for colon, liver and reproductive health. He has also placed on a vegetarian diet (no meats or fish, Chicken is definitely out). After reading E4YT I am now wondering if the herbs & supplements he prescribed can counteract with my blood type (appearantly he does not believe in the E4YT method). The supplements are: don quai, black walnut, zinc, astralagus, paba and bio protect. Would you be able to assist me? Thanks -- Gritell

Welcome, Gritell! Well, you've discovered that not all naturopaths use blood-type diet principles. Sad, but true! Personally, I have a difficult time imagining that a type B with your conditions should be advised not to use fish. You certainly need the good fats in fish, along with the recommended oils, nuts and seeds, and an optimal protein intake would speed your healing -- especially of the liver. I would try to get at least three servings of goat, rabbit, venison, or lamb per week; and several servings of beneficial fish. Also, black currant seed oil, a few capsules per day.

You'll have to decide how to proceed in regard to your doctor, of course, but I do suggest that you try to get hold of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and follow the specific protocols and food lists therein. Live Right 4 Your Type might be available where you are before the Encyclopedia is, so look for that one, too. For the moment: I have no listing for paba, and bio protect is a product I'm not familiar with (check the ingredients); but the rest of the supplements are good for you.

Good luck, dear! Please let me know how you're doing!!

I am an A+ just beginning this diet, and it will be tough since I LOVE meat, cheese and pasta! I don't like seafood except shrimp and scallops, which are avoids, and tofu is the most disgusting food item I can imagine... can you recommend a source for comparison of tofu quality & texture, and one or more good sources for tofu recipes I can try that will make it palatable to me? Secondly, I have run across several contradictions in just the first few days that I wonder if you can explain: 1) Why is mayonnaise an avoid when its primary ingredients of eggs & canola oil are not? 2) Why are yogurt, sour cream and mozzarella cheese allowed but cow's milk is not? How does that possibly make sense? 3) Why is some wheat restricted to "consume rarely" and other wheat to "avoid", but Ezekiel bread is allowed and even considered "highly beneficial" when wheat is the first ingredient listed? Thanks! C.

Hi, C. ~ First thing that struck me was the "consume rarely" rating. We only use Beneficial, Neutral and Avoid. Could you drop a note to tell me where you obtained the food list you're using? It's possible yours was compiled by someone other than Peter, so I can't vouch for it. Do take a look at the TYPEbase 3 food values database and review the ratings for the foods you generally eat. Type A secretors need avoid only bran and germ among the wheat parts, so only whole wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, and any foods containing one or more of them, should be avoided. All other forms/versions of wheat are fine for you, but the best approach is to mix it up a bit: buckwheat one day, oatmeal the next, rye, etc. ~ for a total of one serving per day of grains, maybe two on a couple of days in the week. Ezekiel 4:9 bread made of 100% sprouted ingredients is beneficial due to the sprouting.

I sympathize with your reaction to the new diet, which for you involves some major eating changes. :-} Might be easier to find beneficial and neutral foods you really like, and add them gradually over a month or two until they push the other items to the side. Do take heart in the fact that most of us came straight from the Wrong 4 Our Type camp! yet found a home here through the health-enhancing effects of the diet and our changing tastes. What is good for you will indeed come to appeal far more strongly than your previous choice of foods. Be gentle with yourself as you make the transition, and let time ease you along into it. I say most sincerely that it is the purely finest place to be!!

Next time you're eating out, ask for grilled salmon, red snapper, trout or perch. They are sweeter and less strong-tasting than many fish varieties, and this may help you find a taste for a couple of them. Arctic char is a marvel of delicacy. And don't forget those snails! :-) Instead of tofu, try tempeh ~ perfect chopped into stir-fries, and great sliced thin and sizzled up as a "sandwich meat."

Mayonnaise made from factory-farmed eggs is pretty rough on the digestion. Some varieties contain vinegar, and some contain corn sweetener ~ one major brand puts dextrose only into the half-gallon size. Odd? :-D You can make your own, or get an organic brand. If all the ingredients are OK, there's no reason why you shouldn't use it occasionally. Soured (cultured) milk products give As far less trouble than whole milk ~ and the process whereby mozzarella is made is also key to its digestibility. The A diet is not based on a single idea; it is the result of many years of research, patient use, testing and re-testing, and a number of factors including lectins, digestive sufficiency, polyamine production, cancer prevention, etc., etc. Let me know how you're doing, once you've settled in a bit! :-)

Hallo I am from South Africa (type A pos). I've written previously regarding the diet and since then been on it for about 1.5 months AND lost 7 kg since which is all the proof I need that it works. I also feel much better. I have a few questions if you don't mind taking the tinme to answer them. 1. Why is smoked salmon, mackerel, chicken not allowed? In the case of salmon, the smoked kind is more freely available. I do avoid it and buy the only other regularly available kind (tinned in water). 2. I saw on your site that there is a new book out - LR4YBT. I understand that it goes into things like the secretor/non secretor status and that some of the food lists differ. Do I need to buy this book and do I need to find out what my secretor status are??? (Let's hope it is available in SA.) 3. Regarding the main meal of the day - I eat soy mince (the dried plain variety) at least once a week, sometimes twice. Is this food allowed? Otherwise I eat salmon (tinned), mackerel (tinned and fresh), chicken twice a week together with the beneficial and some neutral veggies and salads etc. I also eat beans at least once a week which I make into a curry (curry powder is a neutral according to my book). I loose weight and as you can see do not include tofu in my food because it is not so easy to find. What is your comments on these main meal ingredients? I try my best with what I can find easily in the shops. 4. I eat some fat free yoghurt (200 ml) about twice a week - is this within limits (the book mentions that type A's can tolerate some fermented dairy products. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. This diet is wonderful. It's a pity some of my family members is against the diet although my losing weight without starving myself should have convinced them. Eurika

1. Smoked foods are discouraged on this diet due to the carcinogenic properties of the smoking materials & process. Once or twice per month is OK, but try to limit them as much as possible, OK?

2. Keep an eye out for LR4YT, I'm sure it will arrive in SA in the not-too-distant future ~ but it seems you're doing just fine on your plan as it is! so getting your secretor status is not essential right now. Check the foods you eat most frequently against the TYPEbase 3 database, and take a look at the Updates Page for further information.

3. Your diet sounds great to me, you are doing fine!! Tofu is not a necessity, either. If you find tempeh, or soybeans (either fresh or canned), or soy flour bread, just feel free to use them ~ but fish, chicken and vegetables are perfectly good for you!

4. Yes, twice per week is a good frequency for yogurt ~ eggs three times per week, and cheese once or twice. :-)

Don't mind what others do or say ~ you're succeeding, and they will see the results along with you! Take care, dear, and prosper in the New Year!! :-D

Dear Heidi, I enjoy your column and hope you've got an answer to my questions: I'm AB and should avoid black olives, geen ones are neutral. That rule means coloured olives, doesn't ist? And not the ones which blacken on the trees. Is there any chance to get my secretor status checked in Germany? Thanks for you answer and best regards Uschi

Hallo, Uschi! Yes, that's the rule for olives ~ fresh green ones are fine, but the black canned or fermented variety are avoids. You certainly can get a secretor test there in Germany ~ just go to www.stacktheme.com and choose which area's email request address you'd like to use. They will help in a jiffy! Thank you for writing!! :-D

I'm AB+ type, just starting on the my blood type diet, have lost about 2 kg - approx 3.5lbs in 3 wks. I have been under medication for high blood pressure for about 15 yrs, since 21 yrs old. Is there specific food types that will help in controlling my blood pressure? Thanks Chong

Dear Chong: First, I hope I chose the correct name among the two as your "first name." :-} If not, please forgive me! There is indeed a food that may help you: OATMEAL. Apparently, it is quite effective in lowering blood pressure. See this column and this one for "Phil's Oatmeal Therapy." It is one serving of oatmeal daily ~ after two weeks, you should see a significant drop in blood pressue. Thank you for your note, and let me know how the oatmeal works for you! Best wishes!!

Heidi, I am an O positive secretor and am researching alternative treatments for menopause other than the traditional HRT. I have been using an estrogen (estradiol) patch for 10 years and would like to get off of it. I have read that flaxseed and soy are both good phytoestrogens. My question--as an O person, we are limited to 3 servings of soy per week. Would it be best to use the flaxseed primarily? Thanks for your input. Sue

Hey there, Sue! There are numerous recommendations under Female Balancing and Menopausal Support protocols in the Encyclopedia. I would go ahead with the flax, but also investigate the herbal/supp suggestions in the protocols. They are a bit too long to type out here, and I hesitate to do so since I'm not sure what if any symptoms you experience. I can suggest getting a good magnesium supplement; coriander extract tincture (7-10 drops, twice daily) and a cup or two of hibiscus tea each day. Do take a peek at the Encyclopedia, if you find you need more than flax to do the trick for you. Keep me posted! :-)

So I've been following the O diet for quite some time now and have had GREAT success with it. I've had a history of allergies and it turned out that everything I was allergic to, I was also to avoid on the blood type diet. Coincidience? I think not! I've recently had my allergies eliminated with the NAET procedure (www.naet.com) and my quality of life improved 10 fold. However, I was recently diagnosed with haveing a low pH level (5.0) this actually kinda makes sense due to the fact that I was eating meat well over 7 times a week (whereas the book says O's should eat it only 4-6 times/week for Caucasians). Another issue was my mineral deficiency. Again, heavy workouts without enough mineral intake is probably the problem. It turned out I was even allergic to copper! My allergy specialist performs NAET and so I had my allergy to copper eliminated and I am now taking a mineral enzyme mix. She also did the urine sample that showed my low pH level and she recommended this site (www.alkalizeforhealth.net) which has many good tips on restoring alkaline levels. One thing that shocked me was that they mentioned that soy milk inhibited certain minerals such as calcium and potassium from being properly absorbed. This is freaky because I drink soy milk almost every day in the form of a smoothie. The eat right for your type book on the other hand says soy is a good alternative and can be consumed without problems. SO...there is a conflict of intrest here! Any idea as to which way I should go? Do I stop my soy intake or simply bring it down a notch? Also, as for restoring my alkaline levels, I've decided to drop meat consumption to 4x week and up my greens intake to double what they used to be (which is quite a bit!) Your thoughts would be VERY well appreciated. thanks Fred

Hi, Fred ~ If you're an O secretor, one to three times per week is the total frequency for the bean category -- of which soy is part. If you're a nonsecretor, it's zero to three... and soy is an avoid. For any O, and especially someone who does heavy workouts, I wouldn't drop lower than 6 servings weekly from the meat category (which includes poultry!); but don't forget that those fishies want in, too, to the tune of 3-5 times per week. More fish, two servings of poultry, and six servings of red meat would work beautifully with your resolution to stuff in the greens! :-> Use some rice or almond milk in that smoothie (watch for avoids, natch, or make it at home). I think you're in beautiful shape, dear, so keep that warrior spirit and send a carrier pigeon along with the latest news when you get the chance! ~:-D

This entry was posted on September 3rd, 2000 at 07:51:00 am and is filed under On The Diet.